Dahl Mahkani

1.5 c raw whole urad beans
3 large cooking onions, cut into thin slivers
pinch of heeg (asofoedita)
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 28 oz can plum tomatoes
1 small indian chili, minced
1 inch piece ginger, minced
2-3 tsp ground coriander
red pepper to taste
1 tsp amchoor powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1-2 tsp salt if needed

Soak beans overnite with water covering by 3 inches.Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tbsp oil and cook beans with water in pressure cooker for 25 mins.While beans are cooking, peal the onions and cut in half top to bottom and into long thin slivers.Heat oil, add heeg to oil, followed by cumin seeds. Brown, then add onions and stir fry for 8 mins on medium heat until browned. Add indian chili and ginger and stir for 2 mins. Add can of tomatoes and squish with hands to break up. Add the cooked beans, ground coriander, red pepper, amchoor powder, garam masala, and salt. Enjoy alone or with fragrant rice.

Toffee

1 c. Butter
1 c. White Sugar
1 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Melt sugar and butter over low heat while stirring. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently until the mixture turns the color of light caramel and it blends together smoothly. My Aunt Linda taught me a trick when she pulled out a bag of brown sugar and set it next to the stove. She said just look at the color of the brown sugar and when it matches the melting goo, it should be done. Pour it out onto a greased cookie sheet, and spread as thin as possible - work quickly! Sprinkle the chips over the toffee and they will quickly melt. Spread the chocolate around and toss the nuts over it. Let it cool completely, break it up, and store it away before a passer-by eats it up.

This is pretty simple, I only had one minor panic when I was melting the butter/sugar and it seemed to separate but as I kept stirring, it came together eventually. Phew.

Pork and Apple Turnovers

These pork and apple turnovers can be used as a main dish or as an appetizer.

* Makes 32 turnovers
* Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1/2 pound lean ground pork
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion - diced
3 garlic cloves - minced
3 tbsp of fresh cilantro or 2 tsp of ground coriander
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground tumeric
1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and finely diced
1/2 c of water
1 box off frozen puff pastry
1 egg, beaten

Directions:

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute pork, onion, garlic, coriander/cilantro, chili powder, ginger, cumin and tumeric.
Cook the mixture until the pork is cooked and the onions are translucent - about 6-8 minutes.
Stir in the aple, water and salt and reduce heat.
Continue to simmer until the apple is soft - about 20 minutes.
Thaw puff pastry.
Working with one piece of puff pastry at a time, cut the puff pastry into 3-inch squares.
Place a tablespoon of the pork and apple mixture into the center of each square. Fold squares diagonally in half to enclose filling and forming a triangle. Press the seals with a fork. Brush the tops of the turnovers with the beaten egg and pierce the tops of the turnovers with a fork.
Bake on an ungreased baking sheet until the turnovers are lightly browned - about 20 minutes.

* Pork and apple turnovers can be made in advance and stored in air tight containers.
* To reheat, bake the turnovers on an ungreased baking sheet, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Hoisen Apple Dipping Sauce

This sauce can be used as a dipping sauce for pork and apple turnovers, or could be used as a marinade or glaze for a pork tenderloin or chops.

1 1/2 c. hoisen-garlic sauce (found in Asian food section of your local grocery store)
1/4 c. honey
1 c. diced Granny Smith apples
2 tbsp fresh ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp. ground chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

In a small saucepan, heat the hoisen-garlic sauce until it begins to simmer. Add the honey, apples, ginger and spices and stir until all the spices are blended into the hoisen-garlic sauce.
Continue to simmer until the apples are soft - about 6-8 minutes.
**If the sauce is too thick, it can be diluted with a few drops of apple cider or apple juice.

This sauce can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until it is ready to be used. Reheat the sauce in a small saucepan until warm.

Kendra's Pork Roast with Maple Glaze

for Fall Harvest menu

Ingredients:
1 boneless pork loin roast (about 2.5 lbs)
-- make sure its tied with 5 pieces of twine at even intervals
1/3 cup maple syrup

Also: vegetable oil, cinnamon, ground cloves, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper

1. Heat oven to 350.
2. Pat roast dry, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Place the roast fat-side down in the skillet first (to get more fat in the pan) and cook until well-browned, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, repeat on all sides until the roast is well browned on all sides.
4. Transfer roast to roasting or baking pan, small enough so that it will rest in a pool of maple syrup.
5. Pour 1/3 cup maple syrup over roast. Using tongs, roll the roast to coat on all sides. Sprinkle roast with a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of ground cloves, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
6. Transfer to oven for 35-45 minutes, cooking until an instant-read thermometer reads 135 degrees. Baste or use tongs to roll the roast over during roasting to coat all sides.
7. Out of the oven, let the roast rest for 10-15 minutes. Roast should now register 145-150 degrees, and glaze should thicken.
8. Snip twine off roast, slice in to 1/4 inch slices, and serve immediately topped with glaze.

Total time: no more than 1 hour, 15 minutes.
Difficulty: easy!

Kendra's Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Shallots in a Balsamic Glaze

For Apple Gala menu

Ingredients:
1 lb brussels sprouts
2 shallots
1.5 tart, crisp apples
3 T brown sugar
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 T orange juice
2 T butter
2 t mustard
1/4 cup water
Small amount of sausage or sausage substitute (optional)
Olive oil
Salt to taste

Heat oven to 325.

1. Trim the root ends of the sprouts, remove dried outer leaves and cut each sprout in half. Toss with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and roast uncovered in oven for about 20-25 minutes until tender and starting to brown, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, peel and slice shallots. Peel, core, and cut the apples into crescents. If using, saute the sausage and break it into bits. Remove to paper towel.

3. Melt butter in saute pan. Add shallots and apples, lower heat to medium and saute, stirring occasionally, until starting to turn soft, about 5 to 6 minutes.

4. Stir in the sugar, vinegar, orange juice, and water, raise heat to medium high and cook, stirring, for several minutes until the liquid is reduced to a syrup.

5. Remove from heat and stir in the mustard.

6. Add sprouts and sausage to the pan. Stir and toss to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Total time: about 30 minutes
Difficulty: easy!

All American Apple Pie

Below is a mix of 2 recipes:
http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/pages/c00119.asp
http://www.ochef.com/r126.htm

For the crust:
8 oz. (1 cup) cold unsalted butter
9 oz. (2 cups) all-purpose unbleached flour
1/4 cup sugar (I used less than this bc most recipes don't call for sugar...)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup cold water

For the filling:

2-1/2 pounds baking apples (about 6 medium), peeled, cored and sliced 1/4-inch inch thick (I used 1/2 granny smith and 1/2 golden delicious)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar (I used splenda here)
1/2 to 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch

how to make
For the crust:

Food processor method:

Cut the butter into small (about 3/4-inch) cubes. Wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it until frozen solid, at least 30 minutes. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a reclosable gallon-size freezer bag and freeze for at least 30 minutes.

Place the flour mixture in a food processor with the metal blade and process for a few seconds to combine. Set the bag aside.

Add the frozen butter cubes and pulse until none of the butter is larger than the size of a pea. (Toss with a fork to see it better.) Remove the cover and add the water. Pulse until most of the butter is reduced to the size of small peas. The mixture will be in particles and will not hold together. Divide the mixture in half and spoon each half into a plastic bag.

Holding both ends of the bag opening with your fingers, knead the mixture by alternately pressing it, from the outside of the bag, with the knuckles and heels of your hands until the mixture holds together in one piece and feels slightly stretchy when pulled. Repeat with the second bag.

Wrap the dough with plastic wrap, flatten it into discs, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, preferably overnight. (For a pie shell and lattice, divide it in a ratio of two thirds: one third — use about 9.5 ounces for the shell and the rest for the lattice, flattening the smaller part into a rectangle.)

For the pie:

Remove the dough for the bottom crust from the refrigerator. If necessary, allow it to sit for about 10 minutes or until it is soft enough to roll.

On a floured pastry cloth or between two sheets of lightly floured plastic wrap, roll the bottom crust 1/8 inch thick or less and 12 inches in diameter. Transfer it to the pie pan. Trim the edge almost even with the edge of the pan. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 3 hours.

In a large bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and toss to mix. Allow the apples to macerate at room temperature for minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 3 hours.

Transfer the apples and their juices to a colander suspended over a bowl to capture the liquid. The mixture will release at least 1/2 cup of liquid.

In a small saucepan (preferably lined with a nonstick surface), over medium-high heat, boil down this liquid, with the butter, to about 1/3 cup (a little more if you started with more than 1/2 cup of liquid), or until syrupy and lightly caramelized. Swirl the liquid but do not stir it. (Alternatively, spray a 4-cup heatproof measure with nonstick vegetable spray, add the liquid and butter, and boil it in the microwave, 6 to 7 minutes on high.) Meanwhile, transfer the apples to a bowl and toss them with the cornstarch until all traces of it have disappeared.

Pour the syrup over the apples, tossing gently. (Do not be concerned if the liquid hardens on contact with the apples; it will dissolve during baking.)

Roll out the top crust large enough to cut a 12-inch circle. Use an expandable flan ring or a cardboard template and a sharp knife as a guide to cut the circle.

Transfer the apple mixture to the pie shell. Moisten the border of the bottom crust by brushing it lightly with water and place the top crust over the fruit. Tuck the overhang under the bottom crust border and press down all around the top to seal it. Crimp the border using a fork or your fingers and make about 5 evenly spaced 2-inch slashes starting about 1 inch from the center and radiating toward the edge. Cover the pie loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 1 hour before baking to chill and relax the pastry. This will maintain flakiness and help to keep the crust from shrinking.

Preheat the oven to 325°F (220°C) at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the lowest level any place a baking stone or baking sheet on it before preheating. Place a large piece of greased foil on top to catch any juices.

Set the pie directly on the foil-topped baking stone and bake for 1.5-2 hrs or until the juices bubble through the slashes and the apples feel tender but not mushy when a cake tester or small sharp knife is inserted through a slash.